It's not the pistols, it's the reloads in my opinion. I know several that shoot in Glock competitions and they run the absolute borderline powder charges for recoil

You nailed it. I'd say about 75% of our IPSC shooters use reloads and malfs are simply par for the course, no matter what gun you're using. Very few people can afford $80 worth of factory ammo every match and fabricate their own. Even so, primers and powder were quite elusive for about four months after congresscritters were considering various bans.

My CZ broke a trigger pin the last match and I opted to take a +5 instead of trying the stage with my backup P01. I've also had jams from my lead reloads not quite chambering.

The matches are a real eye opener. That supposedly reliable as death and taxes gun you covet for carry suddenly shows it's ugly side and gives you good 'tap-rack-bang' practice. As pointed out many are 'enhanced' with lighter springs, trigger work, aftermarket barrels and go-fast bits that reduce reliability in some circumstances.

Very seriously doubt they are limp wristing that often in a competition.

I have to lean more towards the mods and hand loading combos.

If you are talking speed shooting then recoil is the enemy and if they are hand loading light rounds the 17 and 19 won't like them.

Light loads can have the same effect of limp wristing in those models.

What i am unsure of is if they are using light hand loads.....Anyone familiar with the kind of hand loads they use as far as light or heavy?

Also what kind of competition shooting were they doing during the malfunctions? Speed between rounds where recoil comes into play?

Something has to be different and what ever that difference is, has to be leading to the malfunctions, whereas a 20 year old Glock with 100,000 rounds by an everyday owner has little to no malfuntions.

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If you ever have to use a firearm, you don't get to pick the scenario!

I don't know what loads, I don't know who if any were "limp wristing". I doubt Glock owners limp wrist more the others.

I just looked at the guns as they were being fired. Maybe all Glock shooters were using bad loads, maybe all M&P shooters were using factory ammo.

I highly doubt it.

I know by watching 26 shooters, all but two of us using semis, the Glocks had more failures of one sort or other then the M&Ps. Rattlie old colts didn't seem to have many problems. High Price comp guns did.

Granted it was just one match, I'll keep watching throughout the season and see if the trend continues.

Like I said, I don't own Glocks or M&P's, I'm primary a revolver shooter so I have no dog in the fight, just my observations. None of which would get me to switch from my revolvers.

Jerry Miculek makes the good point that your equipment needs to work if you want to do well in a competition.

I remember seeing a brief, informal, videotaped talk that he gave in which he made a comment to the effect that the night before a match, if you were serious, you'd be checking all your ammunition to insure that it chambered properly. That's easy to do safely with a DA revolver (chamber and eject without closing the cylinder--or even remove the cylinder entirely for the exercise) or with an autopistol by removing the barrel and using it as a chamber gauge.

Of course, any modifications done to a firearm should be tested thoroughly and then undone if they negatively impact reliability/function.

“There was a problem I did see with 1911s or other guns with external safety's. You'd be surprised how many people start to shoot and have to pause to take the safety off. “
-Yes, I’ve seen experienced shooters forget to take the safety off. It’s the proverbial straw that convinced me to shift from a 1911 style (cocked and locked) to a DAO style. I’m sure plenty of 1911 shooters are just fine, but I didn’t trust myself in a BAD DAY situation to do that, even with muscle memory. Add that I had started shooting competitions with a DAO and I became convinced I might have the same problem.

“I also see handload screwups quite a bit.”
-Indeed. The combination of handloads and people tinkering with their guns can drive reliability down quite a bit. Now handloads aren’t bad at all if there is attention to detail. Its that they are often loaded light to reduce recoil, and that can impact the action. A good stock Glock/S&P with good ammunition usually run very well if the mags are also in good working order.

I have seen people pause when they realize the safety is still on, but it's invariably someone who's got a lot of time on a gun with no safety, not a problem of it being difficult to "remember" to flip the safety off.
On of the things about conventional DA/SA triggers that has kept me away from them, is the fear that I will "forget" if the gun is in DA or SA mode at any given moment, and the trigger action will not be what I expect; does that happen to people who are really familiar with that type of gun?

On of the things about conventional DA/SA triggers that has kept me away from them, is the fear that I will "forget" if the gun is in DA or SA mode at any given moment, and the trigger action will not be what I expect; does that happen to people who are really familiar with that type of gun?

If you are "familiar" with the gun, there should be no concerns about whether a traditional da/sa pistol is in the da or sa mode. From the draw, from wherever it's being carried, said pistol should always be in the da configuration for the first shot; all subsequent shots, of course, being in the sa mode. No worries with even a modicum of good training and practice.

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This doesn't quite relate to competition, but I carry a 1911, and bought my wife an M&P. Have you had a chance to shoot one? The trigger is a little.... odd, but if you can get used to that, it is a pretty sweet pistol.

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